The Taiwanese Emergency Assistance Association in Ireland (TEAAI) recently hosted a mental health webinar featuring two guest speakers, Dr. David Shaw and Dr. Victor Wang (王振烽博士) on the 25th February 2023. The event was held in collaboration with the European Federation of Taiwan Health Alliance (EFTHA), and the Global Taiwan Medical Alliance (GTMA) - Europe. The web hosting was organized by Taiwaner Salon (歐臺聲). The webinar covered a range of topics related to mental health disorders in the community, as well as the connection between physical illness/injury and psychosocial stress. The event was hosted live on both YouTube and Webex platforms, and attendees had the opportunity to enter a lucky draw for a chance to win a book.
The TEAAI chairperson, Dr. Ming-Chih Tsai, as the hostess of the webinar, started with a brief introduction of the two guest speakers: Dr. David Shaw is an anaethetist working in the Republic of Ireland and also a PhD Candidate from the University of Oxford and Dr. Victor Wang who is currently the Vice -Chairperson of GTMA, as well as the CEO of EFTHA. Dr. Wang is an expert on issues relating to sports medicine, and a winner of many international prizes based on his research on Sport Injury, Prevention and Associated Psychological Stress.
Dr. Shaw presented an overview of mental health disorders in the community, discussing the epidemiology, diagnosis, causes, and treatment of various mental illnesses. He highlighted the importance of early intervention and treatment for individuals with mental health conditions, as well as the role of community support in addressing mental health issues.
Dr. Wang shared his research on the connection between physical injury and psychosocial stress, shedding light on an important but often overlooked aspect of mental health. He pointed out the lack of evidence and support in Preventive Medicine amongst the Taiwanese Sports environment, and the influence of utilizing the tool to assess the Periodic Health Evaluation which was widely mentioned in the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) consensus in 2009. Dr.Wang emphasized the need for a holistic approach to mental health care by using scientific evidence from modern medicine to bridge the gap between both physical and psychological well-being.
The webinar drew an international audience of over 50 people from around the world, with attendees tuning in from countries such as the UK, France, Ireland, Taiwan, Germany, and the USA. The audience was particularly engaged, with many asking thought-provoking questions and contributing to a lively discussion. Audience questions covered important topics, including the differences in the burden of mental health disease in different countries and more practical questions about how to identify and intervene when a colleague is suffering from a mental health disorder.
Overall, the event was a great success, providing attendees with valuable insights and information about mental health and its connection to Modern Medicine. The winners of the lucky draw were also announced towards the end of the webinar. For those who missed the live event, recordings are available on YouTube platforms as well (link attached as below) .
TEAAI would like to thank the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), R.O.C. Taiwan for sponsoring this meaningful webinar, as well as Taiwaner Salon for organizing the web hosting.
https://www.youtube.com/live/89_2EZZTK_k?feature=share
